STANDARD Life is understood to be considering throwing its weight behind legal efforts by investors to claim billions of pounds from Royal Bank of Scotland.

It follows a £12 billion share issue conducted just months before its 2008 collapse.

Executives at Standard Life are understood to be keeping a close eye on legal cases against RBS although the Edinburgh pensions and investment giant is not currently part of proceedings.

Its stance could see it join another large investor Legal & General in preparing to take action against Edinburgh-headquartered RBS.

L&G is understood to have instructed solicitors at Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan. It is not known if Standard Life is also instructing the firm.

Lawyers for two other sets of investors have filed cases at the High Court in London.

The Royal Bank of Scotland Shareholder Action Group, which represents about 12,000 small investors, has hired London law firm Bird & Bird to seek up to £4bn in compensation. It is suing both RBS and former directors including ex-chief executive Fred Goodwin.

Another set of UK and foreign institutions, including the Strathclyde Pension Fund, are backing a claim led by Stewarts Law totalling hundreds of millions of pounds. They are suing just RBS but solicitors at Stewarts Law have said they are prepared to call former RBS executives to give evidence.

Both cases are thought to focus on alleged failings in RBS's disclosures to shareholders before fundraising.

If it was proved that RBS did mislead investors, it would breach the Financial Services and Markets Act.

There is due to be a case management hearing next week that will determine if the cases will be combined or heard separately.

Standard Life declined to comment.